Jules' Undersea Lodge
An entire two-bedroom apartment was placed under the sea, attached to the seabed by leg structures in a protected lagoon.
It's named after Jules Verne to honor him for his masterpiece book, "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea."
Inside, there are three windows in total, two in each bedroom and one in the living room, where you can enjoy the view of the marine life while munching on a pizza they delivered.
That's correct; guests of Jules' Undersea Lodge will need to do some paperwork to be allowed to stay under the water and tell the staff what kind of pizza they like.
Enter the underwater habitat, and you'll have to dive into the wet room. This is where you'll drop your gear and get a nice hot shower before continuing to the living area.
The interior design is retro-futuristic, with all kinds of gadgets from the 80s and 90s.
There is a DVD collection, but you are more likely to gaze at angelfish through the 42 inches rounded windows.
A command center is connected to the undersea lodge to check the oxygen, water, and power levels to ensure everything is okay. Air conditioning keeps a pleasant temperature inside at all times.
The 24-hour service at Jules' Undersea Lodge is not exactly as you are used to in a hotel. This is because the in-room service has to deliver through the seawater.
There is even a chef who dives into your accommodation and prepares the food in the kitchen for you upon request.
America's first and only underwater hotel
Jules was originally developed as a research platform called "La Chalupa" in Puerto Rico in the 1970s. It was the biggest and most advanced underwater habitat of its time. Jan Koblick was the designer and operator and also the man behind the Marine Resources Development Foundation.
"The Boat" was converted into a hotel in the 1980s and became the Jules' Undersea Lodge to honor the second most-translated author in the world, Jules Verne. His books inspired millions, like in the case of this unique underwater habitat.
Koblick used to work on the Tektite habitat, an underwater laboratory for the nationally sponsored scientists in the sea program. He drew inspiration from this project, or more precisely, he saw all its defects and problems that could be improved.
The Tektite consisted of two white metal cylinders 12.5 feet (3.8 m) in diameter and 18 feet (5.5 m) high joined by a tunnel. It was a first-of-its-kind test for underwater habitat, naturally far from perfection.
So when it was time to transform "La Chulpa" into a hotel, Koblick eliminated the defects and made countless improvements. In 1986, Jules' Lodge was submerged into a protected lagoon so anyone could experience underwater living. Just thirty years later, the lodge has hosted over 10,000 overnight visitors.
Today, the Jules' is an important research center for aquanauts (people who spend over 24 hours under the water), with a current record holder standing at 73 days straight.
If you are a certified diver, you can go right ahead and dive into the lagoon and meet your host inside the underwater lodge. They will explain the safety protocol and how the communication system works.
Are you new to diving? No worries, Jules' can organize an easy scuba diving course for you.
Once you are inside the "moon pool", there is a storage room for all your diving equipment.
The retro-futuristic interiors are reminiscent of sci-fi movies imagining future underwater colonies, like The Underwater City from 1962.
The air-conditioned underwater lodge has two private bedrooms and a living room with an integrated kitchen.
Got some work to catch up with? Jules' can deliver (nearly) any personal items for your overnight stay. Including your modern gadgets, because there is WiFi down here!
The underwater lodge is stocked with various drinks and snacks, but if you'd like, your hosts can also organize to deliver pizza to your hideaway.
The cozy bedroom's round window gives an insight into underwater life, and if you are lucky, you can wake up to the sight of an angelfish.
Or some divers peeking into your window... Just kidding, your privacy is protected during your stay.
World record of underwater living
In 2023, diver and medical researcher Dr. Joseph Dituri broke the record for staying the longest time underwater.
His project, Neptune 100, had the ambitious goal of staying at Jules' Undersea Lodge for a hundred days without a break.
The previous record was 73 days, two hours, and 34 minutes, set by two professors from Tennessee in 2014.
The KLUP gift shop is packed with t-shirts, rash guards, hoodies, sweat pants, hats, mugs, key chains all kinds of memorabilia.
Dr. Neil Monney and ocean explorer Mr. Ian Koblick are the masterminds behind this fantastic project, inspired by Jules Verne's book, "20000 Leagues Under the Sea", which is about the fantastic adventures of Captain Nemo and Monsieur Aronnax.
